Question

During bad weather, you should increase your gap distance to _____ in order to compensate for poor traction?

1) 6-8 seconds
2) 10-12 seconds
3) 12-15 seconds
4) 15-20 seconds

Answer 1

In bad weather, you should increase your following distance to 6-8 seconds to ensure enough space for safe stopping due to longer braking distances on wet or icy roads.

Step-by-step explanation:

During bad weather, it is recommended to increase your gap distance to 6-8 seconds to compensate for poor traction. This increase in following distance is necessary since bad weather can significantly affect both the road conditions and driver reaction time. If the conditions are severe, it may even be wise to increase the gap distance further than 6-8 seconds to ensure safety. The increased gap allows more time to react and stop the vehicle safely, considering that the braking distance can be substantially longer on wet or icy roads compared to dry pavement.

As explained in the provided figures, the car's stopping distance is influenced by the initial speed, road conditions, and driver's reaction time. With a reaction time of 0.500 seconds, which is factored into the overall distance required to come to a complete stop, the stopping distances for dry versus wet pavement are quite different. Therefore, accounting for these distinctions is critical when determining a safe following distance in various weather conditions.